Carlile goes from excellent to memorable musical event
Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, Cal., July 17, 2019
Reviewed by Dan MacIntosh
Flanked by the guitar-playing, harmony-vocalizing twins, Phil and Tim Hanseroth (whom she referred to as her band), Carlile opened with a few foot-stomping folk tunes. She received her first standing ovation, however, for her introduction of the ballad "The Mother." When she detailed the difficulties of being a mother in a same-sex marriage, she found a fully supportive audience tonight. And this was in the usually conservative Orange County.
Before getting to her powerhouse balled "The Joke," Carlile sang a sometimes hilarious, other times sadly true unrecorded song called "Cowgirls." Its lyric lampoons fake cowboys and bro-country dudes, while all the while calling for more female representation on contemporary country radio.
Another pleasant surprise was her version of "The Wheels of Laredo," a single she helped write and produce for Tanya Tucker's upcoming comeback album. Carlile returned for a two-song encore, beginning with the piano ballad "Party of One. Then came the best and most rewarding surprise of the night - Carlile covering Led Zeppelin's "Going to California." Yes, it's a California-centric lyric for a Southern California crowd, but hearing Carlile nail vocal sections first sung by Robert Plant was truly astounding.
Carlile has one of those special voices that makes any of her performances must-see shows. By adding unexpected song surprises to her set, Carlile's show at the OC Fair transformed just another excellent concert into a truly memorable musical event.
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